Author:

Robin Roberts

Whilst men may be grinning ear to ear at the introduction of unisex laws making it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate on the basis of gender, it is women who will have to bear the cost of the resulting hike in insurance premiums.

The legislation from the EU will make it impossible for insurers to create so called “gender policies” and will be forced to adopt unisex policies which to not differentiate between male and female van drivers.

The new insurance directive comes into place from the 21st December 2012, so small businesses with female van drivers need to start talking to their van insurance brokers to see what can be done to minimise any insurance rises.

“The introduction of the gender directive will create a level playing field. Although premium will still be one of the main purchasing decisions, this is a clear opportunity for the market to move consumer focus away from price and onto the quality of the actual product they are purchasing – and to differentiate their products in a crowded marketplace” Mike Powell, Defaqto’s Insight Analyst for General Insurance, told BusinessVans.

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